Stove-center



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\ W. O. MET-ZNER.

STOVE CENTER; No 443,166. Patented Dec. 23, 1890.

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2 Sheets-Sheet 2.

(No Model.)

W. 0. METZNER. STOVE CENTER.

Patented Dec". 23, 1890.

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UNIT D STATES PATENT OFFICE.

YVILLIAM C. METZNER, OF CHICAGO, ILLINOIS.

STOVE-CENTER.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 443,166, dated December 23, 1890. Application filed March 3, 1890. Serial No. 342,343. (No model.)

To all whom it may concern.-

Be itknown that I, WILLIAM G. METZNER, a citizen of the United States, residing at Chicago, in the county of Cook, in the State of Illinois, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Stove Centers; and I do hereby declare the following to be a full, clear, and exact description of the invention, such as will enable others skilledin the art to which it appertains to make and use the same, reference being had to the accompanying drawings, and to letters of reference marked thereon, which form a part of this specification.

This invention relates to adjustable stovecenters for cook-stoves.

The invention is applicable to both short and long centers, and its objectis to provide stove-centers which may be adjusted when applied to a stove so as to conform to any variation in size of the top of the stove. Thus one size of the center may be put into the trade and applied to several sizes of cockstoves within a certain range.

Figure 1 is a bottom view illustrating the manner of uniting pieces to form a short center. Fig. 2 is a bottom view of the tie-plate. Fig. 3 is a top view of a portion of the short center. Fig. 4: is a bottom view of one of the top members of a long center. Fig. 5 is a bottom view of thetie-plate for thelong center. Fig. 6 is a bottom view of the finished long center and short center, one end of the short center meeting the side of the long center, as in the stove. Fig. 7 is a section in line ab of Fig. 6. Fig. 8 is a section in line 0 d of Fig. 6. Fig. 9 is a top view of the tie-plate for a short center.

Referring to Fig. 1, A is one top member of the short center, and Bis the other top member of such short center. The two opposite .sides of the finished center are to extend inward in the form of a half-circle, so that each will form with asimilar half-circle in the stove a complete circle for the reception of the stove-lid.

ledge c on the tie-plate. Along said half-circle the portion of the center above the ledge a c a must be made to slope toward said center in rising from said ledge, and the depth must be sufficient to equal the thickness of the edge of the stove-lid. This depth is greater than the thickness of the middle of the top members need be for strength or economy or convenience in handling. Consequently it is usually desirable to provide the depth mentioned by providing the sides ofthe top members with flanges a. A tongue B extends from the lower side of the inner end of the top member B beneath the inner end of the top member A and into the space between the flanges a on said member A. This tongue serves as a stay for said ends and closes the joint between said ends.

The top member A may be provided .at its inner end with transverse breaking grooves a in order that portions of said top member may be broken away to allow the two members to be brought closer together for the purpose of shortening the complete center. Then the member A has been thus shortened, the tongue 13 may be pushed farther between the flanges a. In lengthening the center the two members are drawn apart, the tongue B sliding between the flanges a. The tie-plate O, a bottom view of which appears in Fig. 2and a top view in Fig. 9,is so shaped as to lie over the joint made by the meeting ends of the top members A and B and receive bolts extending through itself and such top members to tie the top members rigidly to each other. Along its middle the tie-plate has, as already stated, the flange c, filling the space between the flanges a of the top members, thus completing the half-circle of the flange required for supporting the stove-lid. It is to be noted, however, that this flange c is not an essential part of the tie-plate. The two flanges a may be extended on the top members, so as to make a practically continuous flange for the support of the stove-lid. Such a construction is shown embodied in the long center to be hereinafter described.

The tie-plate C may be varied in form; but it will be found best to give it such outline as to cause it to bear against the flanges a of the members A and B in order that such top members may be the better held against lateral movement. Each of the end sections is provided with a hole D, and immediately beneath such hole D the tie-plate O is provided with a longitudinal slot D and a bolt D extends through the tie-plate and the adjacent top member at each such hole or slot. By tightening these slots the three partsnamely, the tie-plate and the two top members-are firmly bound together. More bolts may be used, if desired; but for the short center the two bolts have been found suflicient. In the case of the long center it has been found desirable to use a third bolt, as hereinafter described. The slots D in the tie-plate 0 permit of the shifting of the bolts D with reference to the tie-plate C.

The outer end of each of the top members may be provided with one or more breaking grooves a in order that said ends may be broken away to effect a reduction of size. Either of the top members may be provided with a hole E for the reception and engagement of the end of alidlifter. This is shown in Figs. 1 and 8.

For the purpose of preventing warping the edges of the tie-plate 0 maybe turned up in a flange 0', whereby the body of said tie-plate is raised from the body of the members A and B. Thus a space is left beneath the hole E sufficient for the admission of the end of the lid-lifter.

Attention is now directed to the long center. This is also composed of the two top members A and B and the tie-plate C. Said top members are elongated, so that the finished center will extend over the width of two stove-lid holes, as shown in Fig. 6. The flanges a are again provided; but only a portion of each of said flanges is for the supportof a stove-lid, the portion of each such flange along the sides of the center being for the support of the short center, as shown in Fig. 6. This is, however, an analogous use. hen compared with the long center, the short center may be said to be a stove-lid. The drawings show the flanges a as extending to the inner end of each of the members A and B, while the tieplate 0 extends only partially over the small gap left between said flanges. The holes D, slots D and bolts D are provided, as described, of the short center; but since the length of the parts is considerable, it has been found desirable to put a bolt F through the tie-plate and the overlapping ends of the top members, the bolts D being shifted to the ends of the tie-plate C. To provide for adjustment, the tongue B must in this case be provided with a longitudinal slot D similar to the slots D The tie-plate C is in this case shown provided with holes c to prevent warping. lVhen slots are not used, a series of holes standing close to each other may be substituted, and in the appended claims the term slot is to be understood to comprise a slot and such a series of holes.

Each of the several parts of the centers and between said flanges a, a bolt D, ex-

tending through one of said members and said tie-plate, and another bolt D, extending through the other of said members and said tie-plate, substantially as shown and described.

2. In a stove-center, the combination of two top members A and B, having lateral flanges a, and one of said members having a tongue extending beneath the other and between said flanges a, and each such member being provided with a hole D, a tie-plate G, extending over said members and between said flanges a and having a slot D opposite each hole D, and bolts D, extending through said holes D and slots D substantially as shown and described.

3. In a stove-center, the combination of two top members A and B, both being provided with holes D and one being provided at its inner end with breaking grooves (1. and the other having a tongue extending beneath the first, a tie-plate 0, extending over said members and being provided with slots D opposite the holes D and bolts D, extending through said holes D and slots D substantially as shown and described.-

et. In a stove-cen ter, the combination of two top members A and B, a tie-plate O, extending over said top members, a bolt D, extending through one of said members and one end of the tie plate, another bolt D, ex tending through the other member and the other end of the tie-plate, and a bolt F, extending through the middle of said tie-plate and the meeting ends of the top members, substantially as shown anddescribed.

5. In a stove-center, the combination of two top members A and B, having ledges Ct along the portion of each curved side away from the middle of said stove-center,and a tie-plate having a ledge 0 along the middle portion of each side and between the ledges a, and having a bolt D'extending through one of said top members and tie-plate and another bolt D extending through the other of said members and said tie-plate, substantially as and for the purposes set forth.

In testimony whereof I affix my signature, in presence of two witnesses, this 14th day of December, in the year 1889.

VILLIAM O. METZNER. Witnesses:

AMBROSE EIsDON, CYRUS KEHR.

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